The Astral Dogma

In the frenzied 3 vs 1 battle, Raven stood firm against the formidable trio of hunters - Mark, Benedict Marsh, and Camille. The relentless clash of steel against steel reverberated through the chamber, a symphony of combat that held the onlookers in rapt attention.

Camille, her brow furrowed in concentration, kept her Mirror Maze ability with intricate control , creating a dazzling labyrinth of reflective surfaces that twisted and turned with bewildering complexity. The mirrored walls seemed to distort and shimmer, disorienting Raven as he sought to navigate the treacherous maze while fending off the relentless assaults of his opponents.

Mark, his eyes gleaming with a fierce determination, wielded his dagger with lethal grace, each strike aimed with pinpoint accuracy at Raven's vulnerable spots. But Raven was able to anticipate each move with a keen eye, his swift counterattacks keeping Mark at bay.

As the battle raged on, Mark vanished into the mirrors, his form flickering in and out of sight as he harnessed the unpredictable depths of the Mirror Maze to launch surprise attacks. Raven, his senses heightened to a razor's edge, braced himself for the attacks, each moment increasing with tension as he awaited his opponents next move.

Across the battlefield, the elegant figure of Camille manipulated the shards of glass with deadly precision, sending them hurtling towards Raven in a relentless barrage. Raven, his focus unwavering, deftly deflected the projectiles with unmatched skill, his armor reflecting and ringing with the sound of impacts that would have killed lesser hunters.

"Cammie!, a little help would be nice!" Mark's voice carried through the mirrored labyrinth, frustration lacing his words as he sought aid from his comrade.

"Do you think I'm not doing my part?!" Camille's response was tinged with a hint of exasperation, her efforts strained as she struggled to maintain control over the chaotic battlefield.

Hundreds of mirror shards converged on Raven, each one a potential threat, yet all were repelled by his resilient armor. Mark, resigned to his apparent inability to defeat Raven, began to lose hope. But Benedict Marsh, ever the astute strategist, saw a glimmer of opportunity amidst the chao.

a weakness

As the chaos unfolded within the Mirror Maze, a sudden revelation jolted Mark from his focused assault. "Mark! His eyes, he's covering his eyes!" Benedict Marsh's urgent warning pierced through the turmoil, directing Mark's attention to a crucial vulnerability in Raven's defenses.

With a keen eye, Mark observed Raven's movements, realizing that despite the density of his armor, a weakness lay in his visor, momentarily left exposed. "Cammie, aim for his head!" Mark's command sparked a flurry of activity as Camille redirected the onslaught of mirror shards toward Raven's vulnerable visage.

In a split second, the shards homed in on their target, converging with lethal precision. But before the fatal blow could land, Benedict Marsh seized the opportunity to escalate the assault, launching a small, ominous ball toward Raven's position.

"What are you gonna do now? Protect yourself from me or the explosion?" Mark taunted, his confidence swelling as he closed in on what seemed like an inevitable victory. The impending explosion carried enough force to obliterate a two-story house, forcing Raven to make a critical decision.

With a calculated move, Mark aimed for the opening in Raven's helmet, anticipating his foe's inevitable reaction to the impending blast. But as the explosion engulfed the battlefield, Mark's triumphant grin faltered as Raven defied all expectations.

To Mark's surprise, Raven ignored the looming threat of the bomb, instead focusing his next move on a daring counterattack. 

In a swift motion, Raven closed the distance between them, his movements swift and precise as he confronted Mark head-on.

With a sudden burst of energy, Mark attempted to retreat, but Raven was already upon him, his grasp firm and unyielding. In a desperate bid to evade Raven's relentless advance, Mark resorted to a drastic measure, dragging Raven beneath the earth's surface in a desperate attempt to escape.

The loud explosion echoed through the forest, shrouding the scene in a veil of smoke and uncertainty.

 Benedict Marsh breathed a sigh of relief, believing victory to be within their grasp. Yet, as the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Mark's cocky demeanor crumbled in the face of an unexpected revelation.

In the midst of the smoke, Raven emerged nearly unscathed, his imposing figure barely marred by the explosion's wrath. Mark's confidence wavered as he gazed upon Raven, 

But

In that moment, Raven stood as a formidable force, a harbinger of dread and uncertainty, casting a shadow of apprehension over Mark and his comrades.

As he stood there, Mark felt nothing but the overwhelming intensity of ravens presence.He froze.

Seizing the moment of Raven's disorientation, Benedict Marsh acted swiftly. In a blink, he entered the mirror, snatched Mark, and emerged outside to reunite with Camille.

"Do it now!" Benedict yelled urgently 

Camille's hands moved with precision, orchestrating the mirrors around Raven to converge, forming a confining box – a Mirror Cage. As the structure completed, she exhaled audibly, her concentration evident in the meticulous construction.

"Did you manage to do it?" Benedict inquired, concern etching his uptight features.

"Of course, it nearly took everything out of me," Camille replied, a hint of exhaustion coloring her words.

Silence hung in the air, a pregnant pause, until a sharp crack shattered the tranquility. The Mirror Cage, initially robust, began to crumble beneath Raven's feet, the once-solid structure breaking down.

Camille has the ability to use her Mirror Cage to trap others within the reflective surfaces, as long as they were relative to her. However, in her meticulous planning, she overlooked one crucial detail – Raven exceeded her ether level.

(Hard scene break)

"It was you... you're the one who burned and destroyed my home!" the hooded figure declared dramatically, sending a shiver down Cassidy's spine as she watched through the blue screen with Jia.

"Whoa! I never knew she had it in her," Cassidy whispered to Jia, who bit her thumb nervously, feeling a sense of uneasiness wash over her.

Gasps and whispers rippled through the audience, while Xin stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to say or do.

As the cloaked figure removed their cloak, revealing a beast man with long spikes protruding from his hair, Xin felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through him. He knew protesting would be futile, so he readied himself for battle.

The beast man reached behind his back, drawing two quills that extended into sword-like weapons. Xin tightened his grip on his large hammer, getting into a defensive stance.

With a fierce roar, the beast man lunged forward, swinging his quill-swords with deadly precision. Xin barely managed to dodge the first strike, feeling the wind of the blade brushing past his cheek. He retaliated with a powerful swing of his hammer, aiming for the beast man's midsection.

But the beast man was agile, swiftly evading Xin's attack and countering with a flurry of slashes. Xin parried each blow with all his might, his muscles straining under the weight of his weapon. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he realized the seriousness of the situation.

As the battle intensified, the beast man's attacks grew even more ruthless, each strike infused with a primal fury that seemed to emanate from his very being. Xin could feel the force of each blow reverberating through his body, testing his limits with every passing second.

With a grim determination, Xin focused on defending himself against the onslaught, his mind racing to find a way to gain the upper hand. He noticed the beast man's reliance on his weapons, a stark contrast to Xin's own combat style which prioritized raw strength and agility.

"The way he's fighting, it's like Bel's fighting style, but he's less skilled" Xin muttered under his breath.

"He's using the weapons more, so his ether levels are probably average."

Drawing upon his hax, Xin shifted his strategy, opting to engage the beast man in close combat rather than relying solely on his hammer. He countered the beast man's attacks, dodging and weaving with precision as he looked for an opening.

With a sudden burst of speed, Xin closed the distance between them, delivering a series of quick palm strikes aimed at disarming his opponent. The beast man snarled in frustration, his movements becoming more erratic as Xin's relentless assault pushed him back.

Xin slammed his hammer down with all his might, the force of the blow reverberating through the air as it connected with the beast man's arms. For a moment, it seemed like the beast man would be able to withstand the attack, bracing himself against the hammer. 

The beast man struggled to get back on his feet, shaking off the impact. Xin, catching his breath, felt a bit triumphant but still on edge. As they eyed each other, the beast man muttered, "This monster is smart. Going against them blindly would get me killed."

Just as Xin began to catch his breath, the beast man surged back to his feet with a snarl of defiance. Despite the punishing blow, he refused to admit defeat, his eyes blazing with a newfound intensity.

Xin's heart pounded in his chest as he braced himself for another round, his mind racing to devise a strategy to finally bring the beast man down. With each passing moment, the tension in the air grew thicker, the anticipation of their next clash electrifying the atmosphere.

With a savage roar, the beast man charged forward once more, his movements fueled by sheer anger. Xin met his advance head-on, their weapons clashing with a deafening .

But this time, the beast man seemed different, his attacks more coordinated and precise. Xin struggled to keep up, his senses overwhelmed by the relentless assault.

As the battle wore on, Xin realized that he was facing a foe unlike any he had encountered before. The beast man fought with a primal fury that seemed to defy logic, his every move calculated to exploit Xin's weaknesses.

the battle raged on, the beast man's eyes narrowed as he watched closely as Xin swung his hammer with precision, each strike landing with calculated force. Despite the weapon's appearance, the beast man realized that it wasn't as harmful as it seemed – more like a toy than a true threat.

But as Xin continued to press the attack, the beast man sensed something different about the hammer. It wasn't just the weapon itself that posed a danger; it was Xin's mastery over his ether, channeling it to refine the hammer's durability and strength. But this angered the beast man

"Using that toy won't save you now, you monster!" the beast man snarled, his voice dripping with anger

Xin gritted his teeth, his grip on his hammer tightening as he prepared to defend himself against the beast man's assault. Despite the insult, he remained focused, channeling his ether to reinforce his defenses and strengthen his resolve.

With a loud roar, Xin met the beast man head-on, their weapons clashing. Each blow reverberated through the air, echoing the intensity of their battle as they fought tooth and nail for supremacy.

But as the clash continued, Xin could sense the tide of the battle shifting. The beast man's attacks grew more erratic, fueled by his anger and desperation to overcome Xin's defenses. Yet, with each strike, Xin remained steadfast, refusing to yield to his opponent's aggression.

In the heat of the battle, as their eyes locked in a fierce struggle for dominance, the beast man caught a glimpse of Xin's eyes. In that fleeting moment, a memory surged to the forefront of his mind, like a bolt of lightning illuminating the darkness.

He remembered families crying out in pain and anguish, their lives torn apart by the merciless invasion. And then, he saw her – the one who led the onslaught, the one whose beauty was as captivating as it was deadly.

With long, flowing forest hair and eyes that shone with a devilish beauty, she commanded attention wherever she went. Her presence was both alluring and terrifying, her demonic-like horns marking her as a force to be reckoned with.

And as the memories flooded back, the beast man realized the truth staring him in the face. The glare he remembered from that fateful day, the aura of power and authority that surrounded her – it was all mirrored in Xin's eyes.